Police to tighten security prior to upcoming holiday

Police to tighten security prior to upcoming holiday

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Authorities are planning to enhance overall security across the
country for the upcoming Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year
holiday season, particularly neighborhood security.

National Police chief Da'i Bachtiar said Wednesday police
would give special attention to security at a local level.

"We will increase the deployment of police personnel in each
district, sub-district and neighborhood, especially in Jakarta,
during the mudik, the season when most urban people go back to
their hometown, Christmas and New Year," said Da'i.

However, he did not specify the number of personnel to be
deployed.

Millions of people are expected to return to their hometowns
to celebrate Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year in the coming two
months.

Da'i added that the plan is different from the one executed
last year, in that not too many personnel will patrol the
streets.

Last year, the authorities deployed 120,000 police personnel,
mostly to patrol the streets in anticipation of possible
terrorist attacks and other security disturbances.

Echoing Da'i's statement, the Coordinator Minister of Security
and Political affairs Bambang Yudhoyono said that the coming two
months were extremely volatile, in terms of the possibility of
another terrorist attack.

The police are currently conducting a massive manhunt for
terror suspects wanted in connection with recent bombings.

The National Police Spokesperson Zainuri Lubis stated that the
two most wanted fugitives, Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Moch Top
-- both suspects of the Bali and Marriott bombings -- would not
be able to get too far away from Bandung.

"There is a great possibility that these two suspects are not
far from the Bandung area. I acknowledge that they may have
already reached Central Java or even Sumatra -- if they managed
to travel by car or bus -- but no further away than those areas,"
said Lubis.

Da'i acknowledged that the plan would require the cooperation
of other government ministries, including the transportation and
telecommunications ministry.

"We call for the increase of (police) land, sea and air
transportation, as well as the communications ability of the
police personnel," he said.

Da'i mentioned budget difficulties, hoping that this
constraint would not hamper security efforts.

"We hope that we can get the money as soon as possible. We
don't want the money to reach us after we have finished the
program," said Da'i.

Meanwhile at least 3,000 police personnel in Cirebon -- the
city where both Tohir and Ismail were nabbed by the police --
have been deployed to help hunt the fugitives and guard vital and
strategic places along the West Java North coast.

The operation is also aimed at securing hotels, amusement
centers and other places frequented by expatriates in Cirebon.

"Besides which, we will conduct spot-checks of public
transport," said the City Police chief Sr. Comr Sunaryono.

He also said that the police were patrolling the border
between West Java and Central Java to stop the fugitives from
crossing it.